Cobb to Host AAU Youth Basketball Championship

Atlanta may have the Final Four this weekend, but Smyrna and Kennesaw will have the Each One Teach One Basketball Hardwood Classic.

The 3-day event, which begins today, will feature more than 800 AAU youth basketball players, spokeswoman Natalie Springfield said. It is hosted by one of the top AAU organizations, Each One Teach One Basketball. The Battle at the Four-Hardwood Classic is part of the five-state Southeastern Cup Series, the largest youth basketball series in the region.

Regular games will be played today and Saturday at the Smyrna Community Center and Kennesaw State University University Convocation Center. The championship games will be played Sunday at Kennesaw State.

The parents of Jeremy Nelson, the 12-year-old Gwinnett seventh-grade student who died after he collapsed during a Jan. 5 basketball game at the Suwanee Sports Academy, will be at Kennesaw State at 12:30 p.m. Saturday for a special announcement. Event organizers will dedicate a basketball court in Nelson's honor. 

Here is the complete schedule of events:

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, April 5 

Age groups: 9 to 15 years
Smyrna Community Center
200 Village Green Cir. SE

8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 6  

Age groups: 9 to 15 years
Smyrna Community Center

8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 6 

Age groups: 12 years
Kennesaw State University Convocation Center 
1000 Chastain Rd. NW

8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 7 (Championship Sunday)

Kennesaw State University Convocation Center

Teams can still register at www.ihigh.com/thesoutheasterncup.com or www.eotoweb.net.